Systems theory and systems thinking relies on interface, feedback, organizational goals, input, throughput, output, differentiation, and integration. Thinking in systems means no change can happen without effect on other actors in the system.

When thinking through solutions, it seems we forget a team, a department, or a division is a part of a larger system. If you think in problem solving mode, then your diagnostic needs to account for undesirable behavior characteristics are part of the system structures that produce them.

The ability to scope, manage, and view a project, from concept to delivery, through a risk lens, presents the essence of organization competitive advantage.

The opposite of project effectiveness bogs down organization capital, both human and financial, through a cycle of change requests that drain human and financial resources and staff motivation who now need to focus how to get a wrong project right.

When things get bent Murphy’s Law takes too much credit (blame) when the more likely result being a symptom of poor planning and failures further upstream and earlier than Murphy ever came on the scene. The only law I do believe in is the law of gravity.

Project communication is far bigger than the project team. No project succeeds without stakeholder motivation and a proper communication plan to address their motivations, needs, and goals. Project communication is an effort to build commitment, understanding, and ownership around the project impact to people, process, and technology.

This template provides a planning tool to meet stakeholder communication needs. With this you can plan what to communicate, when to communicate, how to communicate, and measure communication performance.

No matter the motive for a merger or acquisition the real work comes with integration.

Similar to a project scope statement that identifies the success criteria for a project, the only way to identify success or failure is within the scope of the M&A goals.

Subsequently, the risk in mergers and acquisitions comes down to the ability of a team to deliver within budget, by a certain time, and up to project expectation (scope) and project failure rates for M&A deals are strikingly high.